a basic dinner

What a nice, simple, easy Tuesday at home last night.  Conrad and I continue to work our way through the series Cougar Town, watching it while we eat dinner.  That dinner last night?  A basic corn and zucchini risotto with a few sweet Italian sausages.  I made the risotto, I only cooked the sausages that I bought from the store.  Nothing too fancy, just Tuesday dinner. 

Tuesday evening at Van's

The cocktail party is a thing of the past, and it's now the middle of a mild and ordinary week.  In short, not a lot to report about.  Sorry!  And no big plans for the weekend ahead.  Sorry!  Again!

Last night was weekly television date night at Van's.  Happily for him (and for an easy and peaceful rest of the night), his three top picks made it through to the finale of American Idol.  That will be our activity on television date night next week.  So yes, some television for us.  I also made a carrot and saffron risotto and seared some steelhead trout for our dinner. 

Boulevardiers for each of us to drink.

No photos of Olive, alas, but assuredly she was there and enjoyed getting what attention she wanted.

And that, readers, was a Tuesday night. 

dinner and a concert in DTLA

We had a lovely night last night, through and through.  It's great that we've not only stacked up our social calendars through this holiday season, but also that the things we're doing are so enjoyable.  Hooray for that!

Last night it was dinner first, then a show.  We headed to downtown LA, parked the car, then walked past the Disney Hall

and the Broad,

past other buildings in the downtown/Bunker Hill area,

past the library,

and ended up at Drago Centro. 

We haven't been there in ages - I think it was my birthday a couple of years ago - so it was nice to be back.  A Caesar salad for me,

then a tasty pork osso bucco with saffron risotto. 

The others had pasta dishes for their main courses, and I tasted them, finding them very good.  I'd like to go back again, have a leisurely meal, splurge on a good wine, and just enjoy it all.  Oh, and we had dessert, shared.  An eggnog creme brulee. 

It was fine, more eggy, like my Mum's baked custard, than silky and boozy.

And then it was back uphill to the Disney Hall.  I don't have photos from the performance since they weren't permitted.  But I will say we had terrific seats in the second row (the rows curve, and as we were on the end, we were almost up against one end of the stage). 

Chanticleer were in performance - I'm listening to their new Christmas album now - and they were terrific once again.  Some familiar faces, some new members.  A mix of older and newer songs.  They seemed looser and happier this year than when I've seen them in the past.  All in all, just so good.

Home after that, and some reading before bed.  I have things planned this evening and tomorrow, but then it's a couple of days off - hooray!  But how fortunate we are to have these wonderful opportunities. 

PS weekend

The weekend that was in now days behind us, so of course that means I am at long last writing about it!

Van had the idea of the two of us getting away to the desert last weekend.  I know, I know - it is bloody hot there at this time of year.  Each day easily got above 100 degrees, and we can comment on dry heat all we want, but it's still hot.  Nonetheless, we got ourselves packed up, and on Friday afternoon, after I had finished off some work things, we hit the road.  Olive came with us, by the way, but you won't be seeing photos of her in this blog other than this one. 

We made sure, I promise you, to keep her in air conditioned rooms and walking on pavement as little as possible.  She was comfortable, and she loved her meet-and-greet sessions with the other hotel guests.

Anyway, Van had had an email regarding some good summer time prices at a hotel we like and have stayed at before:  L'Horizon.  It's a handsome setting, with decent rooms and a fine pool and bar area. 

It's quiet, no outside people allowed to use the bar.  And at this time of year, although they told us they had a lot of bookings (good for them!), I don't think I saw more than ten other people using the pool area at any one time.

Oh, but we used the pool area. 

Friday evening after dinner.  Saturday, late afternoon after shopping.  Sunday morning before breakfast and then checking out.  I took advantage of it.

I also took advantage of cooler morning temperature (relatively speaking) to get out on morning walks.  In part to swing by Koffi and grab a decaf latte, but also it's just nice to see the neighbourhoods nearby. 

On the Sunday morning, that moon was still bright out when I set out. 

For such a tourist town, Palm Springs can be quiet early, and especially away from the main drag downtown.

We only had the one full day there, and we enjoyed ourselves with poking in some stores, buying a few things here and there.  I had scheduled an early afternoon online happy hour with some ALA friends as well, so I got a cocktail from the hotel bar (The Rhodonite) and sat in our room and then on our patio, catching up with folks.

We also dined well.  The new Thompson Hotel downtown has some dining options, and we tried out Bar Issi. 

Terrific waiter, some clunky service from the food runners.  Good cocktails

- just look at that drink that Van has! 

A variation on a mai tai for him.  My drink was so conventional and boring alongside that (but I liked it)! 

I enjoyed the fried zucchini blossoms

and the branzino,

but that bread was the star of the meal. 

So good!   The next night we went back to Workshop Kitchen, not without some trepidation given how poor the service was the last time we were there.  This time, however, the service was quite dine, affable and helpful.  Last Words for us,

bread

and a beet salad to share,

and then the pork steak for me. 

Really super - the cherry mostarda was intense, and the meat and the grits worked well with that.  Van enjoyed his corn risotto, and passed me the heads of the grilled shrimp to enjoy. 

We didn't need dessert, but we went for it (and felt so full afterward).  A passionfruit pavlova? 

Yes, please.  It made me feel a little closer to Conrad all those miles away in New Zealand.

An excellent weekend escape, and I was glad to be back in the desert after more than two years away from it.  I do sometimes still daydream about having a nice home down there, I admit....